to Greek μετα ('meta', 'in the midst of', 'among', 'with', 'after'). Compare with German mit, Dutch met, Common Scandinavian med and Icelandic með. worn: 'number'. Number is akin to Latin numerus which was borrowed as noumbre around 1300, seemingly from French, but its use was doubtlessly reinforced by its presence in other Germanic languages. ymb(e): 'around', 'on both sides'. Ymbe was both a preposition and a prefix. The only Modern English word that derives directly from it is the seldom-used Ember days, which is a Christian event. The Germanic loanwords ombudsman and umlaut come from the same Germanic root. It is also related more distantly to Latin words starting with ambi- and Greek words starting with amphi-. Compare with German um, Dutch om, Common Scandinavian om and Icelandic um. wīġ: 'war', 'combat', 'martial power'. There were many words of this root in Old English: wīgan, ġewegan ('to fight'), wīġend ('warrior'). This group was used extensively in Old English poetry, due to the alliterative need for a word beginning with 'w'. It comes from the same root as Latin vincere ('to conquer'). Other than the Old Norse-derived wight, this root is missing in Modern English. Compare with Swedish envig ('holmgang') and Dutch wijgand ('warrior'). See also Linguistic purism in English List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents in English List of English words with dual French and Anglo-Saxon variations Inkhorn debate References Sources Further reading Internet Archive (1848 edition). English language Etymology Old English Archaic English words and phrases